Mercury sat against a withering birch tree and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was dark and he had been up all last night trying to survive the fiasco in the mall. He had found out Dr. Targett was in the area and has been continuing his legacy of blood and lies. His journey is seemingly near its conclusion and he should be satisfied enough to get sleep, but tonight he can’t. Would finishing off Doc' Targett really make him feel better? Or would he just jeopardize the last chance for salvation he'd get?
Shifting his weight from side to side he rubs his back against the tree trying to alleviate a nagging itch between his shoulder blades. It was quiet tonight. Everyone else seemed restful as always. They and the bear had killed about half a dozen people today. They were all evidently used to blood by now--even Kid. That especially disappointed Mercury. The way the child charged in there with Winnie and actually helped in the killings. When he killed Rex, his father, as a boy he didn't feel anything for a long time. Then suddenly while meandering down a road he'd seen someone pass that looked like him. He broke down right there on the route and cried all day.
The small fire crackled into the night air and Mercury eyed his open sack. The fire provided just enough light for him to see the faded orange label of the can of spaghettio’s. He had already had a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos earlier today in the mall, but that was different and he had been saving the spaghettio’s for a night like tonight.
The can sat just above a flame on a makeshift shelf consisting of his Trench Spike and several sticks and stones. Mercury waited impatiently for the spaghettio’s to begin to gently bubble. This was his favorite meal.
* *
“Come on, Matthew. Get your little ass over here before Rex gets back.” shouted Care from the other room.
“Yes Care.” came Matthew’s reluctant reply.
He set the small BB gun barrel down on the floor next to the other parts scattered about clumsily like building blocks. Matthew wiped a smudge of gun oil on his already filthy pant leg and scampered into the kitchen. When the strange aroma hit his nose, he immediately felt pangs of hunger stabbing at his empty belly.
“Aren’t we having stew again, Care?” asked Matthew.
“We’re having our own stew tonight. I’ve made some of the usual up for Rex. But that asshole isn’t coming back anytime soon and I figure I deserve something special for having to stay here and keep you outta’ trouble while he scores some stuff. And I just know he always takes some off the top for his own stash before he brings it back here. I just know it.” rambled Care.
“What kind of stew is it? Its not rabbit stew is it? That’s my favorite!” he exclaimed trying to see what was inside the can above the fire.
“No its not rabbit stew--” she said shoving him away from the fire. She continued, “Its this stuff called spaghettio’s. My grandpa used to have a whole stash of it from some bomb shelter he had found and we used to have it. It’s my favorite too, so you only get a little of it.“
She muttered, “I deserve it.”
Matthew sat down on the ground and looked into the fire. He knew Care, his mother, was on drugs again. She got like that, all loopy and edgy, when Rex went off somewhere to get some more. He thought she saved up a little extra for when Rex left the house. Matthew didn’t know why they did it. It made them even worse than they already were.
Care could be good sometimes. Like tonight, she was giving him some of her special stew. That definitely made him feel good. But sometimes she could be worse than Rex. Sometimes, when she didn’t have that stuff for a long time, she gets mean. One time she hadn’t had any for almost a week and she was a wreck. They hadn’t found a nice house to stay in for the night so they all found a sturdy tree and started building up their own lean-to’s. Matthew was taught how to make a lean-to long before he was capable of actually making an effective one. This particular night he couldn’t quite reach a nice, thick branch he wanted to use so he tried asking Care for help getting the branch. She lunged at him with the knife she’d been using to whittle notches into her base-branch. Within the blink of an eye she’d had him against the ground and the knife up to his throat.
“I think its done. Go get your bowl.” she announced looking hungrily into the small can.
Matthew was up and out and back with his bowl within seconds. She poured a little into his bowl and the rest into her own. He gripped the crude, wooden spoon anxiously and put his face over the rising steam. He inhaled mightily through his nose, taking in every last bit of enjoyment he could before he ate it. Scooping some into his mouth he smiled at Care. For the first time since he could remember she smiled back.
* *
The spaghettio’s were now at a rolling boil. Mercury got up and went for his bowl. When he got back Kid was there at the fire, peering into the can with curiosity. Mercury sat back down against the tree and took the can without looking at Kid. He began pouring some into his bowl.
“Can I have some?” Kid asked with his head turned sideways.
Mercury paused for a moment thinking. Then he simply replied, "No."
There were some things in the world that a man just could not give up for any reason. His only happy childhood memory with his mother was one of those things. He poured the rest of the can into his bowl and ate it remembering Care for who he wished she was.
Shared Meal
Mercury sat against a withering birch tree and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was dark and he had been up all last night trying to survive the fiasco in the mall. He had found out Dr. Targett was in the area and has been continuing his legacy of blood and lies. His journey is seemingly near its conclusion and he should be satisfied enough to get sleep, but tonight he can’t. Would finishing off Doc' Targett really make him feel better? Or would he just jeopardize the last chance for salvation he'd get?
Shifting his weight from side to side he rubs his back against the tree trying to alleviate a nagging itch between his shoulder blades. It was quiet tonight. Everyone else seemed restful as always. They and the bear had killed about half a dozen people today. They were all evidently used to blood by now--even Kid. That especially disappointed Mercury. The way the child charged in there with Winnie and actually helped in the killings. When he killed Rex, his father, as a boy he didn't feel anything for a long time. Then suddenly while meandering down a road he'd seen someone pass that looked like him. He broke down right there on the route and cried all day.
The small fire crackled into the night air and Mercury eyed his open sack. The fire provided just enough light for him to see the faded orange label of the can of spaghettio’s. He had already had a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos earlier today in the mall, but that was different and he had been saving the spaghettio’s for a night like tonight.
The can sat just above a flame on a makeshift shelf consisting of his Trench Spike and several sticks and stones. Mercury waited impatiently for the spaghettio’s to begin to gently bubble. This was his favorite meal.
“Come on, Matthew. Get your little ass over here before Rex gets back.” shouted Care from the other room.
“Yes Care.” came Matthew’s reluctant reply.
He set the small BB gun barrel down on the floor next to the other parts scattered about clumsily like building blocks. Matthew wiped a smudge of gun oil on his already filthy pant leg and scampered into the kitchen. When the strange aroma hit his nose, he immediately felt pangs of hunger stabbing at his empty belly.
“Aren’t we having stew again, Care?” asked Matthew.
“We’re having our own stew tonight. I’ve made some of the usual up for Rex. But that asshole isn’t coming back anytime soon and I figure I deserve something special for having to stay here and keep you outta’ trouble while he scores some stuff. And I just know he always takes some off the top for his own stash before he brings it back here. I just know it.” rambled Care.
“What kind of stew is it? Its not rabbit stew is it? That’s my favorite!” he exclaimed trying to see what was inside the can above the fire.
“No its not rabbit stew--” she said shoving him away from the fire. She continued, “Its this stuff called spaghettio’s. My grandpa used to have a whole stash of it from some bomb shelter he had found and we used to have it. It’s my favorite too, so you only get a little of it.“
She muttered, “I deserve it.”
Matthew sat down on the ground and looked into the fire. He knew Care, his mother, was on drugs again. She got like that, all loopy and edgy, when Rex went off somewhere to get some more. He thought she saved up a little extra for when Rex left the house. Matthew didn’t know why they did it. It made them even worse than they already were.
Care could be good sometimes. Like tonight, she was giving him some of her special stew. That definitely made him feel good. But sometimes she could be worse than Rex. Sometimes, when she didn’t have that stuff for a long time, she gets mean. One time she hadn’t had any for almost a week and she was a wreck. They hadn’t found a nice house to stay in for the night so they all found a sturdy tree and started building up their own lean-to’s. Matthew was taught how to make a lean-to long before he was capable of actually making an effective one. This particular night he couldn’t quite reach a nice, thick branch he wanted to use so he tried asking Care for help getting the branch. She lunged at him with the knife she’d been using to whittle notches into her base-branch. Within the blink of an eye she’d had him against the ground and the knife up to his throat.
“I think its done. Go get your bowl.” she announced looking hungrily into the small can.
Matthew was up and out and back with his bowl within seconds. She poured a little into his bowl and the rest into her own. He gripped the crude, wooden spoon anxiously and put his face over the rising steam. He inhaled mightily through his nose, taking in every last bit of enjoyment he could before he ate it. Scooping some into his mouth he smiled at Care. For the first time since he could remember she smiled back.
The spaghettio’s were now at a rolling boil. Mercury got up and went for his bowl. When he got back Kid was there at the fire, peering into the can with curiosity. Mercury sat back down against the tree and took the can without looking at Kid. He began pouring some into his bowl.
“Can I have some?” Kid asked with his head turned sideways.
Mercury paused for a moment thinking. Then he simply replied, "No."
There were some things in the world that a man just could not give up for any reason. His only happy childhood memory with his mother was one of those things. He poured the rest of the can into his bowl and ate it remembering Care for who he wished she was.